Chapter 2 Get In The Damned Car

• I played dumb and mute and pretended that I did not know him, but inside, I wanted to scream into his ears. What did I ever do to deserve an encounter with such a cheerfully shameless scoundrel at my first foray into extracurricular activities?
• Seeing that he was being ignored, the man decided there and then to step out of the car. Tall and slender of build and decked out in branded goods from top to toe, he started in my direction and right past those gawking eyes around him without a care in the world.
• “What, have we become strangers now? Weren't you cooing sweet nothings to me at the hotel just a while ago?” he spat in disdain.
• That really got the people around us gasping, and I seriously thought that I would not mind dying right now. Since when did I say anything like that to him?
• “Didn't you hear what I said? Get in the car.”
• In my resolve, I twisted away from him. For if I got in there beside him, would it not be tantamount to a public admission of being his hookup buddy?
• By this time, the horns were blaring ceaselessly as his vehicular stoppage at the public bus stop had obstructed the operations of the buses that came up from the rear. That led their drivers to stage what became an impromptu symphony of protest.
• “Still deliberating? Mind you, that's how it's going to stay unless you make the right call.”
• His words quickly brought on the heat of those glares which swept upon me, and so, I had no choice but to comply.
• With that contemptuous sneer restored to his lips, he went on to turn the ignition key.
• “That looks like Julien Starck, the rich scion who got incarcerated before.” I heard someone in the crowd say.
• After hearing that, it almost made me choke on my own saliva. He was incarcerated? Could he be some kind of criminal?
• “Have you gotten caught? Were you thrown out of the house?” He arched his neck and directed those questions at me while he kept his grip on the steering wheel.
• My blood bubbled and stewed to a boil. “The hell's wrong with you, making arbitrary calls on my phone like that? Don't you think that you've taken it too far? You sure are shameless!”
• “Keep this up, and I'm going to ask you to get out,” he stated blandly.
• “Suits me just fine! Now, pull over!” I fumed.
• A foot slammed onto the brakes, and the car was brought to a screeching halt in the middle of the asphalt. “Get out!”
• The honking and cussing behind us did not bother him at all. After I alighted, an object was hurled out after me from the inside of the vehicle. It was a cellphone - The very same one that I misplaced at the hotel.
• Once I had been forced out, he promptly sped off in a cloud of dust.
• There were still three stops between Sunshine Sanitarium and to where I was thrown out, so I had to carry on the rest of the way on foot, rolling my luggage along behind me.
• The travel time to cover the distance over those few stops took me well over an hour, and I was gassed by the time I arrived outside the doors to the sanitarium.
• When I reached the ward, Mom was seated on the bed, giggling deliriously. I bawled loudly, holding her by her emaciated shoulders.
• Eventually, crying itself became exhausting as well. I was helping tidy up her disheveled clothes when one of the staff working at the facility walked in on us.
• “Are you Hope Mackenzie's family? You are already late on your payments, so please make an effort to settle your bills on time. Otherwise, we might have no choice but to make her leave.”
• I could only grovel before them. “Could you grant a grace period of a couple of days? I'm currently in the midst of trying to raise the sum.”
• “We're not a charity, so one more day is the best that we can offer. We can't afford to provide free services as we have overheads to cover ourselves.” The staff left me with that and then walked off.
• I felt my own tears squeezing their way through once more. Mom looked upon me piteously, as though she could sense my distress. Then, I wrapped my arms around her and started to weep once again. “I won't let them evict you, Mom. I will find the money and make you well again.”
• Though it was not apparent whether she fully understood me, she cried alongside me all the same. Nonetheless, we took solace in the warmness of each other's bodies while we contended with our shared grief.
• While I was mired in my sorrow, my phone rang again. It was the loan shark, and he threatened to kill my mother if I refused to pay up.
• Completely spooked and correspondingly dumbstruck, I hung up on him and powered the phone off.
• As I held onto the deactivated device, my hands trembled as I was very mortified.
• Considering what was at stake, I had to find the money somehow, or else we would be done for. What other options did I have, having previously done more than my fair share of soliciting from every willing party possible?
• Of course! I still had the house that Mom bought for me. Why should I allow that creep Cary to continue staying there? I ought to sell the house so that Mom could continue to receive treatment!
• However, as I recall, that piece of property was registered in Cary's name when the purchase was made. Would he agree to my putting it up for sale?